GRANDSTANDS TICKETS AND CIRCUIT MAPS
VIEWING IN GENERAL
Detailed seating information on all grandstands is set out in the circuit maps below. The seating on 50% of all the grandstands for the 2005 British F1 Grand Prix is uncovered - it is therefore highly recommended to prepare yourself, for all weather conditions e.g. sunscreen, umbrellas, hats, etc. Most of the grandstands offer bigscreen viewing. Usually tickets for the more popular grandstands, like the Pits Straight, Copse, Woodcote, Club and the Luffield grandstands tend to sell out first for the British F1 Grand Prix.
GRANDSTAND TICKETS
Before considering the most appropriate package that best suits your 2005 British Grand Prix needs, it is important to consider the location and benefits of the available general walkabout and grandstand tickets. We suggest that you refer to the attached circuit map, to further assist you in making the best possible choice.
GRANDSTANDS IN GENERAL
The Silverstone circuit currently has a capacity of 90,000 spectators for general walkabout admission and 60,000 grandstand and enclosure seats. You have a choice between a gold grandstand seat, a silver enclosure seat (Bridge or Farm) or a bronze general walkabout admission ticket, giving you access to the various raised viewing areas (mounds) located around the outside of the circuit.
The gold and silver weekend tickets include an allocated seat on Sunday in the location specified, and a roving seat in any available location for Friday and Saturday (except Club Silverstone which is an allocated seat for all 3 days).
All grandstands seats are numbered but only 12 grandstands (Pits Straight B, Copse A, B, C, D & E, Becketts Outside, Luffield A, B & C and Woodcote A & B) are covered. There are sufficient toilets and catering facilities all around the track, offering soft drinks, beer and fast food. Food vans are plentiful and offer anything from - hot roast sandwiches, Chinese noodles to bacon butties - a good alternative to the hot dogs and chips. Food and drinks can be a bit pricey as with most British sporting events. There is ample opportunity to buy merchandise, with hundreds of stalls inside the circuit, and a few unofficial ones on the outside.
- PITS STRAIGHT GRANDSTANDS A & -A (uncovered) & B (covered)
This grandstand is located on the pits straight directly opposite the pit area, which means it presents you with a view of the racing teams and their pit activities. It also means that you will see the start/finish of the race, from the green light to the chequered flag, as well as have a clear view of the podium ceremony. Two bigscreen TV's are also located here, enabling you to follow the entire race and not loose track of the procedures.
- COPSE GRANDSTANDS A, B, C, D & E
These five covered and very popular grandstands are situated at the end of the pits straight, all the way around the outside of Copse corner, a very fast 235 kph 5th gear right-hander. Copse corner is not only fast but also a difficult corner for the racing drivers, because at the corner entry they cannot see the corner apex and the exit is off camber as well. The five grandstands also present you with a good overall view of the main straight and a distant start-finish line, as well as the straight down to Maggotts corner.
A bigscreen located opposite the Copse hospitality stand is visible from some of these stands but rather distant.
- BECKETTS OUTSIDE GRANDSTAND
This covered grandstand is situated on the outside of Becketts Corner, which forms part of a complex of corners, which is probably the most demanding and technical set of turns of any Grand Prix circuit in the world, known as the Maggotts - Becketts - Chapel complex. For the first section, Maggotts, the track flicks fast left, followed by a fast right, and is taken nearly flat. For the second section, Becketts, the track once again flicks to the left and then to the right, but this section is taken at a slower speed of about 210 kph and requires a change down of two gears. The complex ends with a fast slight left-hand kink, the Chapel corner, which is once again taken flat at about 235 kph in 5th gear. What makes this complex even more challenging is the fact that it allows various ideal lines to be used by the racing drivers. The total complex of corners is visible from this grandstand.
The grandstand also features a bigscreen TV, which for obvious reasons makes your entire Grand Prix so much more enjoyable. A great grandstand but be prepared for a long walk.
- HANGER GRANDSTAND
This uncovered grandstand is located at the end of the Hanger straight, the fastest section of the track, where the cars reach speeds of up to 310 kph in 6th gear. From this stand you can see the cars coming down the Hanger straight and brake down hard to about 180 kph in order to negotiate the Stowe corner. You can also follow the racing cars through the Stowe corner.
A bigscreen TV located next to the Stowe C stand, is visible from this stand which makes it so much easier for you to keep track of what is happening later on during the race.
- STOWE GRANDSTANDS A, B & C
These 3 uncovered grandstands are located on the outside of the Stowe corner, a 190 kph 3rd gear right-hander. For this corner the drivers want to avoid understeer at all costs as it will badly affect their overall lap time. From Stowe the track drops away into the short Vale straight.
A bigscreen TV located next to the Stowe C stand, which is visible from all 3 these stands, enables you to follow the entire race and not loose track of the procedures.
- CLUB GRANDSTAND
This uncovered grandstand is located on the outside of the Vale corner, which immediately leads into Club corner. Vale corner, a 90 kph 2nd gear left-hander, is the slowest corner on the circuit, and is followed by the sweeping but difficult 130 kph 3rd gear right-hander, Club corner. Acceleration out of this corner is both critical and tricky, because with all the acceleration power being applied, the cars tend to go into overseer very quickly. This grandstand offers you a good view of the racing cars as the come down the Vale straight, through Vale and Club corners and down the Abbey straight.
A bigscreen TV located opposite the Vale hospitality stand is visible from this stand, although fairly distant.
- ABBEY GRANDSTAND
This uncovered grandstand is located on Abbey corner, which is a left, right "chicane" offering good overtaking possibilities. For the first part of the Abbey chicane, the cars brake down hard from around 295 kph to just under 125 kph in 2nd gear. The second right-handed part is taken under steady acceleration, apexing at around 190 kph in 3rd gear. Abbey used to be a flat-out left-land bend, but the chicane was put in to slow cars down in the aftermath of Pedro Lamy's enormous crash in 1994. From this stand you can see the cars coming down the Abbey straight, through Abbey corner, and all the way up to where they disappear over the hill into Bridge corner.
The action and excitement of the whole race can be followed on the bigscreen positioned directly opposite this grandstand.
- FARM AND BRIDGE ENCLOSURES
Both the Farm and the Bridge enclosures are uncovered and but offer really good value for money viewing, are well priced and are therefore very popular. They are also unfortunately usually one of the first grandstands to sell out. The Farm enclosure is located at the entry of the Farm corner, which is more of a flick to the right and is taken flat under acceleration. The Bridge enclosure is located on the outside of the Bridge corner entry, which in Jenson Button's view, is one of the most challenging corners on any Grand Prix circuit. During qualifying the drivers will definitely take this corner flat, at around 265 kph in 5th gear.
A bigscreen opposite the Farm enclosures intensifies the drama and magnifies the action on other parts of the circuit.
- LUFFIELD GRANDSTANDS AA, A B & C
These mostly covered grandstands (with the exception of AA) are located along the outside of mainly the exit area of the right-handed hairpin Luffield, a 105 kph 2nd gear and fairly long hairpin. The exit of this hairpin is both difficult and important as the racing drivers need to get onto the power smoothly and fight the inevitable understeer, to ensure good speed onto the pits straight.
These grandstands also features a bigscreen TV (although a bit distant, located on the other side of the stadium section), which for obvious reasons makes your entire Grand Prix so much more enjoyable.
- WOODCOTE GRANDSTANDS A & B
These two very popular and covered grandstands are located on the outside of the last corner on the circuit, a sweeping right-hander, called Woodcote corner. The cars negotiate this corner around 270 kph in 5th gear under full acceleration in order to obtain the best possible top speed down the pits straight. These two stands are very popular because the offer you excellent views of the racing cars coming through the stadium, through Woodcote corner all the way down the pits straight, as well as a distant view of the start/finish line.
The bigscreen opposite the pits straight grandstand is visible, from these 2 stands, although rather distant.
GENERAL WALKABOUT
The general walkabout areas (general admission areas), with a capacity of 90 000 spectators, provide for excellent viewing and offer great value for money admission. You can choose to view from any of the many raised viewing areas (mounds), located around the outside of the track. The areas bring you really close to the action, because they are generally located in front of the grandstands, and also provide easy viewing access to disabled spectators. But as always there are no numbered seats and you must be there early to get a good spot, which you stand to loose should you have to visit a toilet or leave to buy food. Don't forget to bring along some fold-up chairs.
EVENT PROGRAMS
For more detailed information on all the racing programs and for the 2005 British F1 Grand Prix events please click here.
